Boating season: 5 ways to be safe on the water

Thursday

May 22, 2014 at 7:00 AM

By Jim.Hayden@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4274

The long winter and cool spring are coming to an end and boaters are gearing up for a sunny, warm kick-off to the summer season this Memorial Day weekend.And so are the police.“We want you to have a good time on the water — but safely,” said Sgt. Cal Keuning of the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit.The sheriff’s office has seven boats on the lakes and rivers with 44 certified deputies who are trained to handle all aspects of boating, from rescue operations to towing. Patrols are from about 8 a.m. to dusk.The Marine Unit spent 3,127 hours patrolling the water in 2013, making the most contact with boaters in the Grand River (2,047 contacts) and Spring Lake (1,339 contacts), though spending the most hours in Lake Macatawa (223 unit hours) and the Grand Haven Channel (734 unit hours), according to the sheriff’s office annual report.Deputies wrote 83 tickets and issued 793 warnings. The sheriff’s office assisted 18 boats in 2013 and spent 83 hours on search and rescue operations and eight hours on boating accidents.Here are five things to consider before hitting the water on a boat this summer:1: Have your boat inspected: The sheriff’s department can check out the basic safety condition of your boat. “You do not need to have a safety inspection. It’s not required,” said Keuning. “We strongly encourage one.” Deputies inspected 172 boats last year. The once-over takes 10 to 15 minutes and can be done almost anywhere, even on the water. Just flag down a deputy and ask him or her for the inspection, Keuning said. The officer will check the fire extinguishers, electrical system, flares, life jackets and if the lights are working. Once the check is complete and the boat passes, you’ll get a sticker to put on the water craft. “We’re all about educating boaters, about what a boat needs,” he said.To schedule an inspection, contact Keuning at (616) 786-4181.2: Use a life jacket: Every boat has to have a life jacket for each person aboard, though passengers don’t have to wear one. Children younger than 6 years old have to wear a life jacket. In 2012, 651 people across the nation died in boating incidents. Of the 459 who drowned, 379 — or about 83 percent — weren’t wearing life jackets, Keuning said. “We strongly encourage wearing life jackets,” he added.Anyone born after July 1, 1996, needs to have a boater safety card to drive a boat. That certificate needs to be with you on the vessel. For more details on class requirements and age limits on boating and other water craft, visit the state Department of Natural Resources website at michigan.gov/dnr and choose the “Camping & Recreation” tab on the left rail.3: Don’t drink and drive: Alcohol is a contributing factor in about a third of all recreational boating fatalities, according to the National Safe Boating Council. The blood alcohol content is 0.10 percent to be considered boating while intoxicated, different than the 0.08 percent for automobiles. If found guilty of driving a boat while intoxicated, you can be jailed and face fines.“Have a designated driver,” said Keuning, just like with a car.4: Watch the weather, share your route: Have a weather radio to keep an ear on the forecasts. Even a sunny day can turn hazardous quickly. “Thunderstorms can be a mariner’s worst nightmare,” the National Weather Service said on its website. “They can develop quickly and create dangerous wind and wave conditions. Thunderstorms can bring shifting and gusty winds, lightning, waterspouts and torrential downpours, which can turn a day’s pleasure into a nightmare of distress.”Lightning can destroy the electronics on the vessel and cause a fire. If you’re caught on the water in a storm, head to port. If the boat has a cabin, stay inside and avoid touching metal or electrical devices. If there’s no cabin, stay as low as possible in the boat. If a thunderstorm is possible, don’t head out, the weather service said. Thunderstorms are usually brief, so you can wait them out in port safely.Keuning recommends having a pre-plan for any boat outing and tell someone on land where you’ll be and when. That way, if you’re late or missing, deputies will know where the start their search.5: Learn more. Coast Guard Station Grand Haven, 601 South Harbor Drive, is having an open house from noon to 6 p.m. Friday. Besides a chance to see the station, additional events will include interactive safe boating demonstrations, tours of the Coast Guard boats, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office fire boat, Department of Natural Resources boat and a demonstration of the robotic submersible.— Follow Jim Hayden on Twitter@SentinelJim.

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